Abstract

Subfemtojoule polarization bistable switching in a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser(VCSEL) is experimentally demonstrated. All-optical flip-flop operation of the VCSEL was performed using two orthogonally polarized injection light pulses. The optimum wavelengths of the two injection pulses for achieving minimum switching power were different and corresponded to the lasing wavelengths of the two polarization states of the laser. The pulse width/switching frequency dependence of the injection pulses showed that a minimum switching energy was obtained at . A record low switching energy of has been achieved as well as a record high switching frequency of .

Received 04 October 2005Accepted 07 February 2006Published online 06 March 2006

Acknowledgments:

This research was supported in part by the Ministry of Education, Science, Sports and Culture, Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Priority Areas 17068003, 2005, “Photonic Network Project” which OITDA contracted with New Energy and Industrial Technology Development Organization (NEDO) and the International Communications Foundation.